1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information recording medium such as paper for recording so-called multimedia information containing audio information such as voices and music, video information obtained by a camera, video device or the like, and digital code data obtained by a personal computer, word processor or the like in the form of an optically readable code pattern, and an information reproducing device for optically reading a code pattern recorded on the information recording medium and reproducing the original multimedia information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as recording media for recording voices and music, various types of media such as a magnetic tape and optical disk are known. However, the unit price of such media is expensive to some extent even if a large number of duplicates thereof are made, and a large space is required for storing such media. Further, in a case where it becomes necessary to give a medium having recording sounds thereon to another person in a remote place, a lot of labor and time is taken either when it is sent by post or when it is directly handed over. This is also true of so-called multimedia information containing video information obtained by a camera, video device or the like, and digital code data obtained from a personal computer, word processor or the like other than audio information.
Therefore, there has been proposed a system for recording multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information, digital code data on an information recording medium such as paper in the form of dot code as coded information or image information which can be sent by facsimile transmission and which can be duplicated in large quantities at low cost and a system for reproducing the information, as disclosed in International Application No. PCT/JP93/01377 (International Application KOKAI Publication No. WO 94/08314) corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,403.
In the information reproducing system in the above International Application, a method of holding by hand an information reproducing device for optically reading and reproducing dot codes on the information recording medium, and manually scanning the device on the recording medium along the dot codes to read the dot codes is disclosed.
However, the dot code pattern itself remains in a stage in which the structure for enhancing the recording density is studied, and the information reproducing device and information recording medium in the above International Application are provided without fully taking into account flexability for change into consideration.
Further, it is also desired to stably reproduce the code pattern disclosed in the above International Application at high speed.